3 min read

Networks as critical infrastructure

Majza Avdyli : Jul 2, 2026 3:56:13 PM

360° ICT Axians Enterprise Networks Digitalization AI

Stability and transparency must become a strategic priority for Swiss companies.

The network is running – so everything is fine. This assumption is widespread. And it is dangerous. Because stable day-to-day operations say little about how a network behaves under pressure. Swiss companies that do not actively manage and transparently monitor their network are taking a risk that only becomes visible in a crisis - when it immediately impacts the core business.

Networks no longer simply connect locations and systems. They form the operational backbone of nearly all business processes: cloud services, collaboration tools, ERP systems, production facilities, and customer communications. As more processes become digitized, operations become increasingly dependent on the network. What used to be an IT issue is now a matter of corporate governance.

The numbers make this clear: globally, 95% of IT leaders consider a resilient network business-critical (investor.cisco.com). At the same time, 77% of companies experienced a major network outage in the past year. Dependency is already a reality - preparedness often is not.

IT leaders consider a resilient network to be business-critical.

of companies experienced a major network outage in the past year.

axians-mockup-whitepaper-business-process-automation-2-englisch

How resilient is your network, really? The 2026 Network Resilience Guide from Axians shows you how to systematically identify common vulnerabilities in your network and strategically evolve your enterprise network for greater resilience.

Built up over time, difficult to manage

For 42% of Swiss companies, the complexity of their IT environment is already a major challenge today (swisscom.ch). This is the result of years of growth without a clearly defined target architecture: new locations, cloud connections, and external providers have been added without properly resolving existing dependencies. With each expansion, complexity increased and visibility decreased.

Common consequences include a lack of transparency into dependencies between sites, cloud services, and applications; monitoring tools that track individual devices but fail to provide an end-to-end view; and a reactive operating model that only responds once issues have already escalated. Another common problem is that configurations often no longer match the documentation.

This becomes particularly critical when new requirements emerge - such as automation initiatives, AI-driven applications, or additional cloud services - or when the network comes under pressure from traffic spikes or targeted cyberattacks. In a crisis, organizations that do not know who needs to do what, and in what order, lose valuable time and money.

Network Outages as a Business Risk

A network outage is not just an IT issue - it is an operational emergency. Production lines come to a halt, employees lose access to critical systems, and services can no longer be delivered. The longer the outage lasts, the greater the financial and operational impact.

Globally, the cost of major network outages is estimated at USD 160 billion per year, based on one significant incident per company annually (computerweekly.com). Gartner estimates that a major outage can cost organizations more than USD 500,000 per hour. Severe cyberattacks - many of which exploit network vulnerabilities - can result in losses of up to CHF 150 million for individual companies (swisscybersecurity.net).

There is also an often-overlooked consequence: IT teams spend an average of 33% of their working time resolving incidents and service disruptions (tailwindvoiceanddata.com). That is time that could otherwise be invested in strategic initiatives, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Transparency and Proactive Management as the Answer

The good news is that many of these risks are manageable. The key step is shifting from reactive to proactive network management. In practical terms, this means:

Enable end-to-end transparency

Not just monitoring individual devices, but making dependencies across sites, cloud services, and applications visible.

Establish proactive monitoring

Detect anomalies, traffic spikes, and configuration issues before they lead to outages, supported by clear 24/7 escalation processes.

Simplify structures

Define clear target architectures, reduce complexity, and document dependencies as a foundation for predictable operations.

Test incident response processes

Not only plan failover scenarios, but regularly test them under real-world conditions so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an incident.

This approach pays off: companies that regularly conduct network outage simulations reduce unplanned outages by up to 10% and also improve their resolution times by 10% (netbrain.com).

Treat Network Resilience as an Operating Principle

Axians supports Swiss companies in operating their network landscapes not just from a technical perspective, but as a strategic asset. As an experienced partner for Enterprise Networks, we combine architectural expertise, multi-carrier experience, and a holistic view of networking, Security, Cloud, and Applications - from analysis and design through to stable operations.

We consistently take emerging requirements into account, such as those driven by automation, AI applications, and increasing cloud dependencies, and understand how they specifically impact the Swiss market. Our experts are familiar with local conditions, regulatory frameworks, and the specific needs of Swiss organizations - based in Switzerland, for Switzerland.